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Italian Foundation for Oncological Surgery

FICO was established in March 2026 with the aim of promoting the development, research, and clinical applications of oncological surgery

For many oncologic diseases, surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment, and the chances of cure largely depend on the quality of the surgical procedure. Surgery must be tailored to the characteristics of the tumor, of the patient, and of the clinical setting in which treatment is provided. Achieving the best outcomes requires precision surgery capable of integrating diagnostic and therapeutic approaches while addressing the specific features of each individual clinical case.

Our commitment

Advancing Excellence and Precision in Oncological Surgery
FICO promotes research aimed at advancing precision surgery in its broadest sense. Our focus is directed both toward the needs of surgeons — whom we aim to support throughout the different phases of surgical planning, operational execution, and perioperative strategies — and toward the needs of patients, helping them identify and access centers of excellence while improving prospects for recovery and quality of life.
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Areas of Focus

Among the many opportunities to provide meaningful support to oncological surgery, during its initial phase of activity FICO will promote initiatives with tangible impact in specific fields and rare tumors.
Malignant adrenal neoplasms are extremely rare tumors wich too often are not recognized via CT scans because they are mistaken for the more common benign adrenal lesions. In this context, it becomes crucial to develop — also with the support of artificial intelligence — imaging interpretation criteria capable of raising suspicion of malignancy. The availability of an accurate diagnosis allows appropriate surgical planning tailored to the specific disease.
The recording and playback of surgical procedures are essential tools for the professional growth of surgeons and continuous improvement of surgical practices. At present, these strategies are mainly feasible in minimally invasive surgery (i.e., laparoscopic surgery). The availability of an efficient and user-friendly image-recording system, together with software capable of integrating views from different operators’ perspectives, identifying the most relevant phases of the procedure while excluding non-essential parts, would provide valuable support for the dissemination of technical expertise and surgical training.
The availability of personnel specifically dedicated to data management is extremely limited in surgical settings, primarily because of insufficient funding. At the same time, the ability to collect, organize, and process big data is becoming increasingly essential for the advancement and dissemination of medical knowledge.
Prompt referral of patients to the most appropriate healthcare centers across the country can lead to significant improvements in treatment outcomes for rare diseases. In addition, the centralization of patients in a limited number of specialized centers greatly facilitates the development of sufficiently large clinical caseloads to enable faster and more effective research. This requires accurate diagnosis, identification of centers of excellence for each disease, and, in many cases, at least partial coverage of the expenses incurred by patients who must travel from distant regions in order to access treatments available only at referral centers.
The integration of multimodal approaches during surgery, together with the adoption of techniques enabling precise identification of tumor extent, holds promise for significant improvements in surgical outcomes. However, dedicated research is still needed to confirm their potential and better define the optimal deployment in specific clinical settings.

How You Can Help

A small gesture can improve many lives — every contribution can make a difference

Donate and provide tangible support for oncological surgery research.

    Donate Your 5x1000

    It costs you nothing, but means a great deal to us
    With your 5×1000 tax allocation, you can support FICO at no additional cost. When completing your tax return, sign in the section dedicated to the non-for-profit organizations (“ETS – Enti del Terzo Settore”) or healthcare/scientific research and enter our tax identification number. It is a simple gesture, but one that can make a real difference in the quality of care.
    CODICE FISCALE DI FICO - FONDAZIONE ITALIANA CHIRURGIA ONCOLOGICA ETS
    98020980151

    Chi puo' aiutare?

    Un piccolo gesto può migliorare molte vite, qualsiasi contributo può fare la differenza

    Dona tramite bonifico e sostieni in modo concreto la chirurgia oncologica. Puoi scegliere una donazione singola o un supporto periodico, sempre sotto il tuo controllo.

    Intestatario
    FICO Fondazione Italiana Chirurgia Oncologica
    IBAN
    GB33BUKB20201555555555
    SWIFT
    BACRIT22MIL
    Codice fiscale di FICO
    98020980151
    Banca
    Credem Euromobiliare — Via G. Paisello 33, 00198 Roma

    Per qualsiasi problema o richiesta di supporto, Contattaci.

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    Who We Are

    Together to Support Those in Need

    Ing. Guido Frisiani

    President

    Born in Genoa and based in Milan, Guido Frisiani is electronics engineer and Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he has worked for more than 30 years, primarily focusing on strategy and technology. Incidentally, a cancer patient since 2022.

    Guido.frisiani@ficofondazione.org

    Ing. Guido Meardi

    Vice President

    Based in Milan, Guido Meardi is an engineer, Founder and CEO of V-Nova — recognized among the UK’s most innovative startups. He is an expert in artificial intelligence and deeply interested in its applications in oncology.

    Guido.meardi@ficofondazione.org

    Prof. Guido Alberto Massimo Tiberio

    Director of the Scientific Committee

    Surgeon at ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia and Full Professor of General Surgery at the University of Brescia, Prof. Tiberio is an internationally recognized authority on peritoneal surgery, a pioneer of advanced surgical techniques and innovative approaches, and author of numerous scientific publications and research papers.

    Guido.tiberio@ficofondazione.org

    Dott.ssa Monica Buratto

    Treasurer, Media Relations and Secretary

    Born in Genoa, Monica Buratto holds a degree in Economics. She had the original vision that led to the setting up of FICO Foundation and continues to be its driving force.

    Monica.buratto@ficofondazione.org

    Our Scientific Committee

    Prof. Guido Alberto Massimo Tiberio

    Director of the Scientific Committee

    Surgeon at ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia and Full Professor of General Surgery at the University of Brescia, Prof. Tiberio is an internationally recognized authority in peritoneal surgery, a pioneer of advanced surgical techniques and innovative approaches, and author of numerous scientific publications and research papers.

    Prof. Alfredo Berruti

    Director of the Medical Oncology Unit and Oncology Department at ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia. Full Professor and President of the Medicine and Surgery course at the University of Brescia. He is considered one of the world’s leading experts in adrenal tumours and is the author of numerous scientific publications and research papers.

    Prof. Giulio Pompilio

    Scientific Director of the Centro Cardiologico Monzino and Lead of the minimally invasive coronary surgery program. He is a pioneer in gene therapy for peripheral arterial diseases and regenerative therapy using cardiac stem cells.

    Prof.ssa Cinzia Caporale

    Coordinator of the CNR Commission for Ethics and Integrity in Research and of its corresponding Commission. Member of the Italian National Bioethics Committee since 2002 (serving twice as Vice-President), and the Scientific Council of the “Courtyard of the Gentiles” since 2016. Member of the Lazio Area 1 Territorial Ethics Committee and previously of the National Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials on Advanced Therapies. Member of the Committees for the Research Ethics and Integrity of the University of Eastern Piemonte, the Alma Mater University of Bologna, and Sapienza University of Rome. Honorary President of the Ethics Committee of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation. Past President of the Ethics Committee of the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI L. Spallanzani IRCCS) and of the Italian National Ethics Committee or COVID-19 Clinical Trials, and member of the Second Technical-Scientific Committee (CTS) for pandemic management. Past president elected of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC) for two terms, Head of the Italian Delegation on Ethics, member of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), and of the Legal Experts Group for the UNESCO GEObs-Law Database.

    Prof.ssa Laura Palazzani

    Professor of Philosophy of Law at the LUMSA University of Rome, member of the Pontifical Academy for Life and of the Courtyard of the Gentiles. Member for twenty years as a member of the Italian National Bioethics Committee and of the equivalent bioethics committee of the European Commission. Member of the Scientific Committee of the “Treccani”, of the CNR Commission for Ethics and Integrity in Research, and of the Ethics Committee of the Paediatric Hospital “Bambin Gesù” in Rome.

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